Tabulating machine



July 11,, 1939. -gs 2,165,408

TABULATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet l O a o M FIG] a I a e WITNESSES. INVENTOR umz EDWARD R. MYERS flvlmzw K W HIS ATTORNEY July 1 1, 1939. MYERS TABULATING MACHINE Fild Dec. 12, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES INVENTOR EDWARD R. MYERS HIS ATTOM far; .4 41x1 TABULATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSES M INVENTOR 1/1; 4 11:1 EDWARD R. MY'ER s 0 BY a WW1 HIS ATTORNEY y 1939 E. R. MYERS TABULATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 4

INVENTOR EDWARD R. MYER S a HIS ATTORNEX July 11, 1939. MYERS 2,165,408

TABULATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 7

WJITNESSES INVENTOR J A; 5 EDWARD R. MYERS HIS ATTORNEY July 11, 1939. MYERS 2,165,408

TABULAT ING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 l l l l INVENTOR EDWARD R. MYERS 1m IIIIW BY HIS ATTORNEY Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TABULATING MACHINE Application December 12, 1935, Serial No. 54,010

10 Claims.

This invention relates to tabulating machines, that is to say, to statistical and accounting machines which operate on previously perforated cards, and either print the data indicated on the cards, or accumulate such data, or both. In the illustrative example of the invention disclosed in the drawings and described hereinafter, said invention is adapted to operate with the mechanism located in the base section of the tabulating machine. This base section is fully disclosed and described in the patent to W. W. Lasker, 2,044,119 for improvements in Tabulating machines.

This device is adapted for use in billing tabulators. A group of cards containing the debtors name, address and items of the bill, each on a separate card are run through the machine. Each of the cards contains interrelated data such as the account number. Machines of this character contain a group control mechanism which is adapted to cause the taking of a total wheneverthe interrelated data or designation changes. It is proposed to control the invention by said control mechanism in such a manner that, if the designation changes, while the second card, i. e. the address card is being sensed, the machine will be stopped. However, after the address card has passed out of the sensing chamber, any change-of-designation will cause the machine to take a total in the normal manner without being stopped. It is obvious that a device of this character will remove the possibility of wrongly addressing a bill.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improvement in the operating mechanism of the tabulator which will insure that the machine will be stopped if cards containing interrelated data do not follow one another in the correct sequence.

A further object is to provide a mechanism which will be efiicient and accurate to prevent the incorrect operation of the tabulating machine.

A more clear conception of the construction operation and further objects of the invention may be had from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

. Fig. l discloses a tabulating machine with portions of covers cut away to show the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the principal parts of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 isa simplified disclosure of the parts which control the starting and stopping of the tabulator.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of the control plate in its extreme operated position.

Fig. 6 is a cross section through 6-45 of Fig. 5- showing the feed pawl.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the electric circuit for use with the invention.

Fig. 8 is a detail View partially in cross section of the sensing and reading retaining pins and their associated mechanisms.

To more clearly locate and define the operation of this device, a short description of the normal operation of the machine will be given. The information is contained in perforated cards, one card for each of the items, which are sensed by sensing pins in the mid section 3 (Fig. 1) of the machine. These pins set stops to limit the travel of printing sectors and accumulator wheels. The accumulator wheels store and add items until such time as a change of designation occurs when the total mechanism is operated by a group automatic control mechanism. The Whole device is driven by a mechanism contained in the base which is well known in the art, and disclosed and described in the patent to Lasker, mentioned above. Therefore, no further description or disclosure is believed necessary.

In Fig. l is shown a side view of a tabulator with portions of the case broken away to disclose those parts of the machine which are involved in the direct operation of the new device. The base section 2 is broken away to show the principal parts used for manually and automatically stopping the machine. In the mid section 3 is located the so-called change of designation or groups control mechanism which is described in detail in the above mentioned Lasker patent. The upper or head section 4 contains the printing and accumulating mechanism, an early form of which is disclosed and described in the patents to Powers, Nos. 1,245,502 and 1,245,504, modifications of which are shown in subsequent patents, all of which, as well as the commercial machine itself, are well known in the art and, therefore, do not constitute a part of this invention.

As most of the mechanism of the tabulator is described and disclosed in detail in the above mentioned patents, only those parts which are directly connected with the new device will be described, using as nearly as possible the reference numerals used in the Lasker patent.

The only portion of the head section 4 which is pertinent to this invention is the drive shaft 5, and the adding or accumulating head operating arm 6 which is operatively connected to the drive shaft by a link 1 and arm 8 which rocks the arm 6 back and forth. The drive shaft 5 is driven by a motor in the base through the medium of a train of gears and shafting (not shown) disclosed and described in the above mentioned Lasker patent. The shaft 5 makes one revolution per cycle of the machine. Pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine is an L-shaped arm 9, the vertical leg of which bears upon arm 6, and the lower or horizontal leg of which cooperates with a Bowden wire I0. The operation of this arm and wire will be explained hereinafter.

The principal members comprising the invention are disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3, and comprise a series of links and a ratchet counting member which are adapted to cooperate with the group control mechanism.

The group control mechanism is disclosed and described in detail in the above mentioned Lasker patent. Therefore, only the portions of the mechanism which are directly associated with the present device will be described, using the same reference numerals as in the patent. As is well known in the art, the record retaining pins I58 (Fig. 8) are actuated by the sensing pins I14 passing through the perforations in a card. Each pin I58 has a spur I63 formed thereon which is adapted to cooperate with a cam slide I6I for locking the selected pin in the raised and operative position in order to retain the record for controlling the machine. Any other pin than those already operated will, upon being raised, cause the shifting of the cam slide and the release of the formerly operated pin or pins.

In a machine having the group control mechanism a second cam slide MI is provided which is associated with a spur 322 on each of the record retaining pins. Upon a change of designation or the beginning of a new group of cards the newly selected pin will operate the second cam slide and oscillate a shaft 336 through the medium of an interponent 335 and a bail comprising bar 338 and arms 331 secured to shaft 336. As the remainder of this mechanism is well known in the art and does not constitute a part of the new device, no further description will be given.

This shaft 336 is shown in Fig. 3 and has secured thereto an arm 352 which is rotated counterclockwise to release an arm 346 which causes the control mechanism to prepare the machine for automatically taking a total.

As an example of change of designation, if the tabulator is itemizing the number of cans of grade A peaches which are contained in a certain group of cards and the end of the group of grade A cans is reached, the first card containing information relative to items of a diiierent character will cause the camming slide to operate and start the group control mechanism, thereby causing the machine to space, take a total and space, and then proceed with the accumulation of data from the new group of cards.

Whereas, the group control mechanism is adapted to take totals automatically, it is proposed to use this mechanism for insuring that cards containing different interrelated data, such as a name and address, will follow each other. The present invention is designed to check on name and address cards used in billing. The name, address and item cards all contain a similar number, for instance, the account number. This number will be the same until a new account starts, at which time a change of designation occurs. If the address card following the name card does not contain the correct account number, the group control mechanism operates and stops the machine. If, however, the name and address card both contain the same account number, the new device will no longer control the machine which will function in the normal manner. The group control mechanism will carry out its normal function of controlling the taking of a total upon change of data in the item cards.

The main drive of the machine is from a motor, not shown, located in the base 2, which is connected to the main drive shaft 25 through a clutch, one member of which is indicated at 33 (Fig. 1). The clutch may be of any well known form similar to that shown in Fig. 6 of the above mentioned Lasker patent. The clutch is controlled by an arm 36 which is secured to shaft 31. This shaft passes from one side of the machine to the other and has secured thereto an arm 45 which is connected to a vertical link 46, which has a lever 41 pivotally secured thereto in the mid or connecting section 3. The parts, as shown in Fig. 1, are in their operative position with the machine running. In order to stop the machine, link 46 is forced downward, rocking the arm 36 against the tension of the spring 35, thereby releasing the clutch. The clutch is locked inoperative by a latch member 48 which engages a lug 50 secured to the link 46, thereby holding it in its down, or motor disconnecting, position, as shown in Fig. 4. The latch 48 is operated by a spring 5 I. To restart the machine, the button 90 (Fig. 4) is pushed in rotating arm 86 to which is pivotally secured a hook shaped arm 81. The end of arm 81 contacts the end of latch member 48, thereby forcing it in a counterclockwise direction out of engagement with lug 58 permitting arm 46 to rise, thereby restarting the machine.

It is desirable that the machine always be stopped in the same position, namely, that is when the card picker is in its extreme retracted reach position to feed a card into the machine.

To this end the machine is not released directly.

by the operation of link 46, but is released by a circular cam 52 (Fig. 4) mounted on the drive. shaft 25, and having a projection 53 which oper-,

ates a follower roller 54 and lever 55 which is pivoted at one end to the frame, and at the other end to link 51 which extends upward into the connecting section 3.

For purposes of adjustment the lever which operates the link 46 is made in two pieces both pivoted at 66, one of which, 41, is pivotally connected to link 46. The other portion 6I has an ear 62 bent over lever 41, and an adjusting screw bearing on the upper surface of lever 41, the two portions being held in operative relation by a connecting spring 64. At its end the lever 6| has a lug 65 adapted to be engaged by the end of a link 66 which is pivoted to stop arm 68 which is, in turn, pivoted on rock shaft 1!]. rests on the upper end of a push link 51 which rises each cycle of the machine. normally positioned as shown in Fig. 4 with its nose forward of the lug 65. As long as link 66 remains in this position, the machine operation is uninterrupted. If by any means the lever 68 is swung in a clockwise direction bringing the nose of the link 66 under lug 65, the raising of lever 51 by the cam 52 rocks lever 6|, 41 depressing link 46 and disengaging the clutch through arm 45 and shaft 31. It is obvious, therefore, that if the arm 68 is rotated by any control mechanism, that the machine will be stopped.

The link 66 The link is all A device in accordance with the invention is provided for rotating arm 69. This device comprises a base member 3| on which is secured a vertical plate N (Fig. '5) on which is slidably mounted a control plate l2 having a cam face l4 formed on one edge, and teeth |5 cut in the opposite edge thereof. The teeth l5 on the plate I2 constitute a mechanism which is adapted to keep count of a predetermined number of cards passing through the machine. Mounted on plate H is a feed pawl l6 (Figs. 2 and 6) having a pin passing through a slot H3 in the plate II, and secured to a sliding plate |9 on the rear of plate I l. The plate I9 is slidably secured to plate II by screw 20 which passes through a slot in plate I9, and is secured in plate Feed pawl H5 is provided with a pin 2| which is used for disabling the feed pawl as will be hereinafter described. A spring 2|A (see also Fig. 5), extended between pin 2| and a bracket on base plate 3 I, urges pawl l6 clockwise into engagement with teeth |5.

Slidably secured by a screw and slot connection to the plate H is a check pawl 22 (Fig. 2) which is spring-urged into engagement with the teeth I 5 on control plate I2. The check pawl has a disabling pin 23 similar to pin 2| referred to above.

Pivotally secured to the end of a shaft in the machine is an L-shaped arm 24 (Fig. l) the lower end of which is adapted to cooperate with pin IT on the feed pawl. The upper end of the arm is provided with a bearing plate 26 with which the end of Bowden wire |0 cooperates. The Bowden wire is rigidly clamped to plate II by a screw clamp member 21.

Pivotally secured to plate I is an arm 28 which is connected to a parallel arm 29 by a bail mem-- ber 39. The arm. 29 (Fig. 3) is pivotally mounted on base plate 3| in front of and in horizontal alignment with arm 28.

Mounted on base plate 3|, and in front of vertical plate is a second vertical plate 32 (Fig. 2). Slidably secured by a screw and slot connection to plate 32 is a holding member 38 formed as shown with a lip 39. Member 38 is held in its lowermost position by a spring 40. Pivotally secured to plate 32 is a stop arm 4| which is held in engagement with member 38 by a spring 42.

Mounted on the base plate 3| is a rocking frame comprising a. pair of parallel arms 43 which are secured together in rigid relation by a pair of shafts 34 and 44 (Fig. 3). Secured to the shaft 34 is an arm 61 (Figs. 2 and 3), the extreme end of which is connected to arm 29 by a link 56. Also secured to shaft 34 is a latch plate 59 which is so designed as to cooperate with lip 39 of plate 38 when the frame 43 is held in its normal position by spring 58 as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the roller or collar 59 (Figs. 3 and 5) on shaft 34 bears against the edge of cam plate l2 in a position to be operated upon by cam face |4 when the plate is raised.

Pivotally mounted on base plate 3| is an L- shaped operating arm 12, the lower leg of which is connected to the center of arm 6'! by a link 73. The upper end of arm 12 is connected to a solenoid 14 by a connecting rod. 15 (Fig. '7).

Secured to the base 3| is a U-shaped frame member carrying a shaft 16. Secured to shaft 16 is an arm 11 which is connected to the end of stop arm 4| by a link 18 (Fig. 2). Also secured to shaft 16 is an arm 19 positioned at from arm '11, which is connected to a restoring button 8| by a rod 89. Secured to the rear end of shaft 16 (Figs 2 and 3) is an arm B2 having a pin 83 se-' cured therein. adapted to contact the arm 68 secured to the shaft Ill (Figs. 2 and 4).

When the shaft 5 (Fig. 1) is rotated by the main drive shaft on each sensing cycle of the machine the arm 8 causes rocking arm 6 to move toward the front of the machine rocking L-shaped arm 9, which in turn pushes the Bowden wire l0 rotating arm 24 (Fig. 5) counterclockwise. The horizontal leg of arm 24 cooperates with pin IT to raise the lifting pawl l6, thereby raising the control plate |2 which is held in its raised position by check pawl 22.

The first card sensed causes certain record retaining pins I58 to be set up and the data is accumulated and printed in the machine. At the same time the arm 24 has been operated causing feed pawl IE to raise the cam plate |2 one step. This operation takes place after the cam slide in the group control mechanism has been positioned.

If the next card sensed is one in which the interrelated data changes, the cam slide 32| will cause the group control mechanism to oscillate rocking arm 352 (Fig. '7) in a counter-clockwise direction, closing contacts 85, which, in turn, close a circuit for energizing solenoid T4. The operation of solenoid 14 through the rod 15 moves arm 12 in a clockwise direction, thereby raising the arm 6! through the medium of arm 13 (Fig. 2).

The raising of arm 61 (Fig. 2) also raises latch plate 59 which, in turn, raises the latch member 38, until stop arm 4| is free to be rotated in a clockwise direction by the spring 42 (Fig. 2). Since arm 4! is connected to arm 11 by link 18, the clockwise rotation is transmitted to shaft 16. The rotation of shaft 16 raises arm 82 which, in turn, rotates arm 68 through the medium of pin 93. The clockwise rotation of arm 68 (Fig. 4) inserts the nose of arm 66 under lug 65, thereby causing the machine to stop as described above (Fig. 4).

The elevation of arm 61 (Fig. 2) also caused the rotation of arms 28 and 29 in a counterclockwise direction due to the fact that arm 29 is connected to arm 61 by link 56. The bail 30 connected between arms 29 and 29 is moved to the left in Figs. 3 and 5, thereby contacting pins 2| and 23 withdrawing the stop pawl 22 and stepping pawl |6 from teeth l5, thus releasing cam plate I2 and permitting it to be restored to normal by spring 49.

Plate 32 is restored to normal by depressing button 8| which rotates shaft 16 in a counterclockwise direction through rod 39 and arm 19. The rotation of shaft 16 rotates arm ll drawing link 18 to the right and thereby rotating stop 4| in a counter-clockwise direction. The cooperating sloping faces of stop 4| and plate 38 cause the plate to be raised until the edge of the stop is free when the plate 38 is drawn down by spring 40 to its normal position (Fig. 2). The raising of plate 38 also permits the plate 69 to drop under the edge of lip 39 and so restore to normal.

If the second card sensed is one on which the interrelated data remains the same, the slide |2 (Fig. 5) will be raised, as described above, until the cam l4 contacts collar 59 thereby rotating frame 43 in a clockwise direction withdrawing latch plate 69 from under the lip 39 so that arm 12 no longer controls the stopping of the machine.

A third card causes the stepping latch to raise the plate |2 to its highest position as shown in Fig. 5. If no change of designation takes place the pawl IE will continue'to step, but the plate l2 will not be raised due to its lower portion being cut away.

When a change of designation occurs after three or more cards have been sensed, the arm 352 rotates closing contacts which closes the operating circuit for magnet 14. The operation of magnet 14 rotates arm 6'! as described above. This does not, however, stop the machine, but only restores the plate I2 to normal. This is due to the fact that lug 69 has been cammed out of contact with lip 39. Therefore, the plate 38 will not be raised and the machine is not stopped, but the pawls l6 and 22 are withdrawn and plate I2 is restored to normal.

Sufiicient clearance is provided between the lip 39 and the latch plate 69 to permit these parts to restore to normal, when the slide I2 is lowered, without disturbing the plate 38.

It is obvious that plate I2 may be provided with any number of combinations of teeth l5 and cams M to stop the machine unless a predetermined number of cards containing related data follow one another.

While I have described what I consider to be a highly desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many changes in form could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown and described, nor to anything less than the whole of my invention as hereinbefore set forth, and as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a perforated card-controlled machine, the combination of a group control mechanism having an oscillating arm therein, a drive mechanism for said machine, an electro-magnet controlled by said oscillating arm, a rocking frame having a shaft therein, a latch plate having a lip thereon adapted to cooperate with a lug secured to said shaft, a lever secured to said shaft, an L-shaped arm connected to the armature of said electro-magnet, means normally restrained by said latch plate for disabling said drive mechanism, and a link connecting said L shaped arm to said lever whereby the operation of said armature raises said latch plate to re- :lease said disabling means.

In a machine controlled by groups of cards containing diversified inter-related data perforations, a drive mechanism under control of a clutch, a group control mechanism having an oscillatable arm, and means for oscillating said arm on data changes therein, a counting mechanism operated by the machine on each cycle thereof, an electro-magnet controlled by said oscillating arm, a latch mechanism comprising a latch plate having a lip formed thereon, a rocking frame having a shaft therein. said shaft having a lug and a lever secured thereto, said lug adapted to cooperate with said lip to raise said latch plate, an L-shaped arm connected to the armature of said electro-magnet, a link connecting said L-shaped arm to said lever whereby the operation of said electro-magnet raises said latch plate to release means for actuating said clutch to disable said drive mechanism should said data change before a predetermined number of cycles have been made, and means in said counting mechanism for moving said rocking frame to prevent the cooperation of said lip and said lug should the data fail to change before a predetermined number of cycles have been made.

3. In a record controlled machine, the combination of a machine drive mechanism under control of a clutch, a group control mechanism having an oscillatable arm and means for oscillating the arm on data changes in said records, an electro-magnet operable under control of said Oscillating arm, a latch mechanism operable to effect the disengagement of said clutch comprising a latch plate having a lip formed thereon, a rocking frame having a shaft therein, said shaft having a lug and a lever secured thereto, said lug being arranged to cooperate with said lip to raise said latch plate, an L-shaped arm connected to the armature of the electro-magnet, and means connecting the L-shaped arm to the lever whereby the operation of the electro-magnet raises the latch plate to disengage the clutch on data changes.

4. In a record controlled machine, the combination of a drive mechanism, a group control mechanism, means operable under control of the group control mechanism to disable the drive mechanism, a counting mechanism operated during each machine cycle, and means controlled by the counting mechanism to render the group control mechanism ineffective to control the disabling means after a predetermined number of cycles.

In a record controlled machine, the combination of a drive mechanism, means operable to effect the stopping of the drive mechanism, a group control mechanism operative on a change of designation in successive records to condition the stopping means for operation, a cyclically operated counting mechanism, and means controlled by the counting mechanism after a predetermined number of machine cycles to render the group control mechanism ineffective to condition the stopping means.

6. In a record controlled machine, the combination of a drive mechanism, means operative to effect the stopping of the drive mechanism, blocking means to hold said stopping means inoperative, a group control mechanism operative on a change of designation in successive records to disengage the blocking means from the stopping means, a cyclically operated counting mechanism, and means controlled by the counting mechanism after a predetermined number of machine cycles to render the group control mechanism ineffective to disengage the blocking means.

In a record controlled machine, the combination of a drive mechanism, means operable to effect the stopping of the drive mechanism, resilient means to cause the operation of the stopping means, blocking means to prevent the operation of the stopping means by the resilient means, a group control mechanism operative to disengage the blocking means from the stopping means on a change of designation in successive records, a cyclically operated counting mechanism, and means controlled by the counting mechanism to render the group control mechanism ineffective to disengage the blocking means.

8. In a record controlled machine including a group control mechanism and a stop arm arranged when operated to eifect the stopping of the machine, the combination of resilient means to urge the stop arm to operated position, blocking means to prevent the operation of the stop arm, and means operated by the group control mechanism to render the blocking means ineffective.

9. In a record controlled machine, the combination of a, drive mechanism, means operable to effect the stopping of the drive mechanism, a group control mechanism operative on a change of designation in successive records to condition the stopping means for operation, a machine cycle counting mechanism including a cam surface movable through successive steps in successive machine cycles, and means controlled by said cam surface after a predetermined number of machine cycles to render the group control mechanism ineffective to condition the stopping means.

1 In a record controlled machine, the combination of a drive mechanism, means operable to efiect the stopping of the drive mechanism, a group control mechanism operative on a change of designation in successive records to condition the stopping means for operation, a counting mechanism including a cam surface and an actuating pawl to move said cam surface through successive steps in successive machine cycles, and means controlled by the cam'surface after a predetermined number of cycles to render the group control mechanism ineffective to condition the stopping means.

EDWARD ROWLAND MYERS. 

